Danni’s Blog!!

Our inquiry unit this term is “Why is this Happening?” We are focusing on the Murray River and how the  water levels have changed over the past years. In week one of this term, my class and Learning Area 21 went on camp to Hindmarsh Island to start our Inquiry. This term I have learnt lots of new and interesting things and now when I see pictures and articles in the newspaper, I’ll tell whoever is near me that that’s where we went for camp. This term was fun and now I can’t wait to see what were going to be learning about next term.

Today at school the Upper Primary and Middle Primary classes went into the gym because for the last month (every second Tuesday) some athletes from either the Thunderbirds (Adelaide’s netball team), a wheelchair basketball coach (he used to play) and also some Port players (One of the AFL teams in Adelaide) came. They came into our classes and talked to us about healthy eating, the damages smoking does to you and how to have a healthy lifestyle, especially for the people that don’t play sports and don’t have pets.

 We got a booklet about all of this, which is good so we can refer back to it later on in life when we might forget that we need two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day. At the end of the lessons, we were allowed to get autographs from the athletes. The lessons were interesting and I learnt a lot, like you might find chemicals in your house that are used in cigarettes.

Hey everyone,

I need a little help. I want to change my blog name but I don’t know what to. I have some ideas already but there not very good ones, so if you think of one for me (i’m not saying you have to) can you please tell me?

Thanks!

In week one of term 2, my class and learning area 21 went on camp to Hindmarsh Island. It was a three day camp. We left on the Wednesday and came back on the Friday.  When we first arrived we put our luggage down and went to sit in a circle at the campfire. (It wasn’t lit up because it was still day- light) We were introduced to the camp staff and we got a talk of all the rules of the camp. After that we went into our new dorms ( we already knew what dorm we were in before we left) and we quickly put our luggage down and grabbed our recess. After recess we were put into our groups for the activities. We had ten minutes to put our bathers on because we would be getting wet. The first activity we did was problem solving. My group ( group D) had to do an activity where we all had a tile each and one by one we had to get across to the other side without taking any part of our body off the tile. If we did, then Kate ( the instructor) would get rid of it and we would be one tile short.

 We finished our lunch after the problem solving games and then it was time for the other activities.  The first activity my group did was the GSO walk which stands for Great Southern Ocean walk. We walked in the bushes ( I don’t know where- somewhere on Hindmarsh Island is all I know) until we reached the Murray. We stopped along the way while Felix ( the instructor that took us on the walk) talked to us about the wildlife and the Ngarrindgeri ( pronounced Narrangiri) people and what they did  to survive out the bush. About half way down he stopped us and explained to us that where we were standing should be covered with water over our heads. That proved to us how bad the drought is. When we reached the end we got to have a play in the Murray if we wanted to but my friends and I didn’t. We got back and it was time for fishing.

 Nathan, ( our fishing instructor) first talked to us about the safety of fishing and then how to fish. We all had a try, one at a time so we knew what we were doing before we went on the jetty. Esther and I were partners and we didn’t catch anything but sea weed. I think that’s because we were impatient and we both wanted a turn. After about ten or fifteen minutes in, Lachlan, another guy our group caught a fish! I can’t remember what kind of fish it was, but he kissed it before he put it back in the water! Our time was up and we had to go back to the camp site. When we arrived the other two groups ( two groups went one way and the other two groups went the other way- as in, while my group had the GSO walk, the other group went fishing, then we swapped) were having free time. We all got to have a bit of free time as well.

 Dinner was served, and we got a BBQ! It was yum! After that we had supper, hot Milo and biscuits, then it was time for the campfire! Everyone was chatting away talking to someone and it was really fun. Before we all went to bed, Andrew told us what we would have to wear tomorrow when we woke up.  We had to wear our bathers, rashie and boardies.  We also had to pack our towel and a spare change of clothes, because we were definitely getting wet.  My group had to make breakfast and it took for AGES!! We finally got to eat the eggs we made, before we got ready to do the activities that group A and B did ‘yesterday’. ( They had to do the activities we did ‘yesterday’) Our first activity was Water Ways and Bio System Study, which is where we went to the Murray Mouth and learnt a lot about the drought and how it is affecting the river. We got to go in the water afterwards and it was freezing!!! Esther, Jenna and I took our shoes off and went right in to the water. Well, I went just above my knees and they went to their waist! It was really fun though.  We drove back to the camp site and had our morning tea, while group C went and did the Water Ways. Our next activity was Rope Bridges. What we had to do, was make a bridge that could carry the other team across ( we were split into two teams) without the rope breaking. Our team thought we did pretty well, so we decided to decorate it a bit. We later found out that the decorations made the bridge worse and we had to fix it twice! The other team won because theres was no where near touching the ground. The bottom rope barely moved at all!

 We had lunch ( wraps) and then it was time for groups C and D to put wetsuits on! It took almost forever to put on! We headed down to Goolwa Beach and we each grabbed a boogie board from the bus. We had a “special visitor” come down to the beach with us and his name is “Sam the surfer man”. Andrew and Sam showed us what to do in case we got stuck in a rip and also how to ride the boogie board. We got into the water and it was sooooooooooooo fun! Esther and I caught really good waves! We were about waist deep, and if we caught a good wave, we would end up ankle deep, so we practically ended up in the shallow water.

 We finished and then we had to take our wetsuits off, which was really hard! I got stuck taking it off at my legs because it was stuck to my thighs! The part I hated most was putting my shoes back on because they were too small for me, as in width because I have wide feet and the shoes are small!

 Our next activity was rope bridges. We had to make a raft that could fit five people on ( we were separated into teams of five.)  All we had was five tires, ropes and five or six planks of wood. I didn’t want to go in the water because I was freezing! I don’t know if it was because we had just gotten out of the water at the beach or if it was because it was really windy by the time we got to the Raft Making. The aim was to make a raft that could fit the five people and then we would race our raft with all the other rafts. Ours wasn’t even ready because one person ( not mentioning who) kept saying ” It’s every man for himself!” And not being a part of our team. In a way I was kind of glad that I didn’t race because we hadn’t even done one lap ( you had to do two laps and then stand silently with your team to win) when the first team had already won. I felt sorry for the other members of our team because it wasn’t their fault.

 We got back to the camp and had some free time again.  That time was also used by having our two minute showers, which a lot of us were not happy about, and also getting ourselves ready for dinner. When dinner was served we had a lasagna and then we had dessert followed by supper. We had another camp fire and this time we got to toast marshmallows! Once again we were told what to wear for tomorrow and what to bring.

 The next morning we all packed up our luggage, cleaned our dorms then got to have breakfast. We weren’t allowed to eat until our dorms were inspected by one of the camp staff had checked the dorms and locked it up. We had all eaten our breakfast ( pancakes!) and waited outside for the next instructions. It started to rain and we were all wondering if we would still have the Rusty Person Challenge or not. ( We still don’t know what it was.) We all went inside, had our morning tea and then got told we weren’t going to be having the carnival. Instead we played two games indoors. One was we had to make an egg capsule, so that the egg won’t break when Kate ( one of the instructors) drops it from up high. Ours didn’t break but I think one or two did.

 The second game was Newspaper hockey. We paired up and got given a number from 1- 13. Then if our number was called, we would have to quickly grab the newspaper stick ( which was supposed to be the hockey stick) and shoot a goal with the tea towel ball. But we had to make sure not ti shoot the goal before the other number ( whatever number you were, e.g 3) grabbed the ball and shot a goal. Esther and I were partners and we lost both games because we were up against Sam and Rian who are really athletic! I’m not saying we aren’t but there guys and where girls!

 We had lunch ( rolls) and then it was time to leave the camp. We said thankyou to the camp staff and then we got on the bus to go back to school where our friends and family were waiting for us.

                                                      That was the end of our camp.

It’s week one of the holidays and so far its been boring! I’ve had to go to my grandparents place and stay there for the day. Luckily, they have Foxtel ( I think its called cable or satellite in America?) so I got to watch some shows that I like to watch rather then the boring stuff on the “normal” T.V. Thank god for after school commitments as well, other wise I don’t know what I’d do while I wait for my mum to pick us up. (My brother and I.)  This Sunday is Easter for all the Orthodox people around the world. I am a Greek Orthodox, so that includes me. Today I am going into town to find a dress for tonight because I have to go to church again. (I’ve been like three times this week!) Next week on Monday, I might be going to the movies with some of my friends to see ‘17 Again’. Then on Wednesday, my family and I are driving to Melbourne!! I havn’t been in a while, but when I was little we always used to drive there in the Christmas long break or sometimes in the two weeks long break like this year. I can’t wait for the shopping that I’ll be able to do!!!!

My Quote:

“Leadership has a harder job to do than just choose sides. It must bring sides together.”

 – Jesse Jackson

My Example:  I think that this quote means that a leader can’t choose a side because they think it’s better. A leader has to be a leader for everybody, and a leader can’t take part in the conflict. They have to end it.

An Example in Everyday Life: In the school yard, an example of this leadership could be when two people are fighting and their groups of friends join in. The two main people fighting may look like the leaders of their groups, but the real leader is the person who steps up and stops everything.

In the end, I think that this quote means that a true leader is someone who takes control and doesn’t sit back and let things happen.

Yesterday (Thursday 1st April) was Sports Day at our school. I entered the 800m and the 400m run. In the 800m I came first! And in the 400m I came 4th which is also good. I wasn’t in the championship sprints this year and I was glad because there are some REALLY fast runners who would’ve made me look like I was slow. One of the tabloid events ( the activities that the whole class has to do) was the 200m sprints. Alex and I decided to “dance” our way down. We didn’t really, but we weren’t really running either. I tried spinning in the air and running at the same time and I almost fell over. I also really enjoyed the Tug-of-war because my team won! We even bet all the teachers and parents!! At the end of the day, all the classes lined up and Mr. G (our P.E teacher) announced the winners. Yellow team came last, Orange team (my team) came third, Green came second and Red came first. The reds looked really happy, especially the year sevens because they won and it was there last Sports Day at Primary School. All the team had prepared a “Victory Speech” if they won, and the Red captains said there’s. That was the end of the day and people got to go back to their home (if they bought back a permission slip) and the rest of the people would go back on the bus, back to school. (The Sports Day was at Henley Memorial Oval.) We arrived back at school at about ten to three, and our teachers let us go on the laptops for a little bit. When the bell rang we all put our laptops back and left to go home. I had a fun day and I can’t wait for next year at high school because I know I will be in the red team and high school sports days are more fun. (So my brother says.)

When I grow up and go to University, I want to be either a Journalist or a lawyer. I’d rather be a journalist but (good) lawyers get good money!! My mum thinks I should be a lawyer because I “always have an answer for everything.” But I want to be a journalist, but I don’t want to be a news journalist I’d rather be one that works for a magazine or something fun like that. In two years I can start working (my brother works now and he enjoys it) at either Target or at a grocery store. My parents don’t want me to work at a fast food place because they think that I’d eat everything there!! I don’t really want to work at a fast food place anyway, because sometimes looking at all the messy food makes me feel sick. I have to wait tow years and not one because I am born at the end of the year and so I turn 14 later then most people. (Even though I know a lot of year sevens born the year after me.)   I can’t wait to work so then I can save up money for a holiday or a laptop or something that I REALLY want!!

Mrs. Linda Robertson is a 57 year old retiree.  She is lucky to be alive. Herself and her husband were on their 44 foot yacht in Thailand when Bermese pirates boarded the yacht. Linda’s husband, Malcolm, 67, told these pirates to “Get off my boat” but he made the wrong choice. They slit his throat when he tried to fight them, but he lost. They flew his body into the Andamen Sea. 

 Linda sais that the men couldn’t start the yacht adn called for her to start it. She knew her husband was dead when she relised she was walking in his blood.  She also sais that ” Malcolm was not the kind of man to sit back and let things happen. I really wish he had been.” 

 I think that this is a really sad thing to happen and I can’t believe that there are people out there who would do such a thing. I don’t know why people do this but it is bad. Really bad.

These are two links to this story:

1.  http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25245907-401,00.html 

2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/7965177.stm 

Hallo, wie gehts? Ich bin super!

Ich bin zwelf (12) jahre alt.   Meine Lieblingssangerin ist Pink und meine lieblingsgruppe ist Fall Out Boy.

Meine Lieblingslied sind The Fear vin Lily Allen und Teardrops on my Guitar von Taylor Swift. 

Meine freunds sind Alex, Tegan, Esther, Paisley und viele mehr!! 

 Tschus! 

 English version:

Hello, how are you? I am super!

I am twelve years old. My favourite singer (female) is Pink and my favourite band is Fall Out Boy.

My favourite songs are The fear by Lily Allen and Teardrops on my Guitar by Taylor Swift.

My friends are: Alex, Tegan, Esther, Paisley and many more!!

Bye!!